1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting/demounting device for mounting and demounting a card-type peripheral device on and from an electronic apparatus for the purpose of enhancing or adding functions of the electronic apparatus. The present invention also is concerned with an electronic apparatus incorporating such a mounting/demounting device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, various types of portable electronic apparatuses are commercially available, including highly sophisticated apparatuses incorporating central processing units (CPUs). Such portable or mobile electronic apparatuses include, for example, portable computers having a display unit that is hinged to a main body of the computer so as to be swung between an open or operative position and a closed or folded position. Typical examples of the apparatuses of this kind are so-called notebook personal computers.
In the meantime, there is a trend towards reduction in the thickness of the main body of portable computers. As a result, many of the current portable computers are designed such that an accessory, e.g., a PC card, is inserted into the computer main body. For information, the term PC card is used as a general expression of credit-card-sized peripheral devices that follow the PC card standards jointly set up by the PCMCIA of the United States of America and the Japan Electronic Industry Development Association (JEIDA). Thus, the main body of the computer of the kind described has a mounting/demounting device for mounting and demounting a card-type peripheral device that is used for the purpose of enhancing or adding to functions of the computer.
In general, a conventional mounting/demounting device has, as shown in FIG. 15, an operating portion 1000 and a main part 1001. The arrangement is such that a card-type peripheral device 1002 for enhancing or adding to the functions is ejected in the direction of arrow D1 in response to pressing of the operating portion 1000 in the direction of arrow D. When the card-type peripheral device 1002 has been accommodated in the main part 1001, a tab portion 1003 of the operating portion is pivoted away from the main part 1001 and the peripheral device 1002 as indicated by the arrow F. In this state, the tab portion 1003 extends in the direction of arrow E, so as not to interfere with other parts.
Folding of the tab portion 1003 into the direction E undesirably increases the space occupied by the mounting/demounting device, causing an impediment to the reduction in the size of the portable computer.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a card-type peripheral device mounting/demounting device that occupies a smaller space than conventional mounting/demounting device, thereby overcoming the above-described problem.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic apparatus incorporating such a mounting/demounting device.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mounting/demounting device for mounting and demounting a card-type peripheral device that enhances or adds to functions, comprising: a supporting structure having a slot for receiving the card-type peripheral device, for supporting the card-type peripheral device received through the slot; and releasing means having an operating portion which when operated causes the card-type peripheral device supported in the supporting structure to be ejected out of the supporting structure, the operating portion having a part that is foldable toward the slot of the supporting structure.
The supporting structure has a slot for receiving the card-type peripheral device, and supports the card-type peripheral device received through the slot. The releasing means has an operating portion which when operated causes the card-type peripheral device supported in the supporting structure to be ejected out of the supporting structure. The operating portion has a part that is foldable toward the slot of the supporting structure.
This part of the operating portion is not folded to extend outward from the supporting structure. It is therefore possible to reduce the space occupied by the mounting/demounting device.
Preferably, the operating portion has a base and a pivotable member pivotably connected to the base, the pivotable member being foldable towards the slot to a position where the pivotable member lies aside and below the slot. The card-type peripheral device, therefore, is not interfered with the pivotable member when inserted into the slot.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus having mounting/demounting device for a card-type peripheral device having the features stated above.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following description of a preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.